Foot and ankle brace



Aug- 10 1926.

M. D. GIBSON FOOT AND ANKLE BRAGE Filed Nov. 2 1922 [N VENTOR A TTOR E YPatented Aug. 10, 1926.

. UNITED STATES MARSH ALL D. GIBSON, OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI.

FOOT AND ANKLE BRACE.

Application filed November 23, 1922. Serial No. 602,731.

This invention relates to foot and ankle braces. It has for its objectto produce a simple, inexpensive and efficient, bandagelike article ordevice for preventing, correcting and relieving foot troubles anddeformities, particularly about the arch of the foot and the ankle, and,also, for use by athletes, tennis players, footballplayers, skaters, andothers, where it is desirable to brace and support the arch of the footand the ankle without interfering with the action of the parts orcausing any discomfort to the wearer.

The invention consists in the parts and in 1 the combinations andarrangements of parts hereinafter described and afterwards pointed outwith particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification andillustrating a practical adaptation of the invention,--

Figure 1 is a side view of a left foot shpwing the device applied;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device detached from the foot andshowing the relative loopings of the bandage;

Figure 3 is a flat face view of the archsupporting pad or plate with thebandage removed therefrom;

Figure 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4- 4 of Figure 3;and

Figure 5 is a sectionon the Figure 3, the bandage being indicated bydotted lines to illustrate the manner of looping the starting end of thebandage through and about the pad or plate.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a pad or plate,prefer ably of leather or relatively stifi' but pliable material, whichwill readily conform to the hollow of the foot below the arch and yetafford a substantial support when applied as herein later set forth.This pad or plate is generally rectangular,'but one end and side thereofis preferably curved substantially as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings,as at 2, whereit is to be turned up at the side of the foot as shown inFigure 1. The marginal portion of the pad is tapered to 'a thin edge, asat 3 (see Figure 4 or 5), so as to have that portion more pliable thanthe rest of the pad in order to relieve edge pressure of the pad uponthe foot and thereby avoid discomfort to the wearer. Thepad or plate 1is provided with two line 55 of parallel slots 4 to produce a bar (seeFigure 3) for facilitating the attachment of the bandage 6 and securelyhold the latter in ad usted relation to the pad 'or plate.

The bandage 6 preferably comprises a continuous, flexible strip or band(see Figures 1 and 2) which is looped about the foot and ankle and maybe furnished in different lengths, depending upon the number of times 1tis desired to wrap the loopingsabout the foot and ankle. One end portion7 of this bandage, hereinafter referred to as the starting end, iscarried throu h the slots 4, over the bar 5 and about the ody of the pador plate 1 as shown by dotted lines in Flgure 5 and full lines in Figure2.

In applying the device, the pad or plate 1 is placed under the arch ofthe foot with a portion of the pad or late turned up on the inner sideof the foot see Figure 1). Then, with the end portion 7 of the bandageunderlying, the bandage is carried over the instep and about the pad orplate 1, thence up and around the ankle, as at 8, substantially in theform of a figure 8, and then down and about the instep again, theterminal end portion. of the bandage having strings 9 which are tied totongues 10 providedtherefor on the pad or plate 1.

As shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 4, the tongues 10 are preferablyformed by slitting the pad or plate 1 so that the tongues are normallyinlaid or embedded, as it were, within and flush with the body of thepad or plate. These tongues have rounded end portions facilitating theattachment of the tying strings 9 thereto, and reduced neck portionsafiording shouldered heads at the ends of the tongues and wedge-shapeslots on opposite sides of the necks whereby the strings are heldsecurelywhen attached. By this form and arrangement it is only necessary to spring the tongue 10 up from the body of the pad or plate 1 asshown at the right in Figure 4, and then slip the tying string 9 aboutthe neck portion thereof. The string is then drawn tight and the loopthereof about the neck of the tongue is pulled into the crotches of theV-shape slots so as to hold the bandage securely. After the tie is thusmade, the tongue 10 is pressed back to its flush position within thebody of the pad or plate 1. In this way, the fastem'n of the bandage iseasily accomplished and t ere is no appreciable protuberance or bulgingknot to interfere with the fitting of an overshoe or to cause anydiscomfort to the wearer.

The device may be applied either under or over the stocking as may bedesired, and is worn with comfort under the shoe. The bandaging of thefoot, with the pad or plate 1 interposed below the arch and conformingto the contour of the hollow of the foot, affords a substantial support,and this support is further augmente by the looping of the bandagearound the ankle so as to produce, in efl'ect, an artificial ligamentwhich greatly relieves much of the strain on the internal ligaments ofthe foot and ankle.

The bandage is readily-adjusted by pulling the end portion 7, initially,more or less over the pad or plate 1 and also by having the tyingstrings 9 of sufiicient length to compensate for different terminalpositions of the end of the bandage when the final wrap is made. So,too, the bandage may be furnishedin suiiicient length to permit multiplewrapping of the loops about the foot and ankle; and a still furtheradvantage is that the bandage may be quickly removed, re-adjusted andre-a plied when necessary to take care of foot sl irinkage which usuallyoccurs after the bandage is worn for a while. Furthermore, the startingend portion of the bandage may be folded and piled upon itself severaltimes to build up the pad to a considerable thickness under the arch ofthe foot in some cases.

The device admits of considerable modification and alteration without inthe least departing from the s irit and scope of the invention as defineby the appended claims. It is, therefore, not limited to the specificconstruction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings.

What is claimed 1s:

1. A foot and ankle brace comprising a pad placed under the arch of thefoot, a flexible band having a longitudinally slidable and foldinglyadjustable attachment with said pad at its starting end, said band beingwrapped around the instep and said pad, thence carried up about one sideof the foot,'across the instep and around the ankle, and then downacross the instep, about the opposite side of the foot and again undersaid pad, and means for securing the terminal end of said band adjustably to said pad.

2. A foot and ankle brace comprising a] continuous, flexible band and apliable, yet

relatively} stiflr', pad interposable between;

said band and the hollow of the foot, said pad havin provision forthe'adjustable attachment t ereto of the starting end portion of theband, said band having tying strings at its terminal end, said padhaving means for the attachment of said tying strings thereto.

3. A foot and ankle brace comprising a continuous, flexible band and apad of the character of leather and being interposable between said bandand the hollow of the foot, said pad having parallel slots afi'ording abar between them and also being slitted to form tongues within its body,the start ing end ortion of said band being looped adjustabl y throughsaid slots, over said bar, and about the body of the ad, and the,terminal end of said band aving tying strin extending therefrom andbeing at-. tacha le to said tongues.

4. A foot and ankle brace comprising a continuous, flexible band and apad of the character of leather and being interposable between the bandand the hollow .of the foot, said pad having parallel slots afi'ording abar between them and also being slitted to 'form tongues within itsbody, said tongues having reduced neck portions afi'ording heads at theends and slots on opposite sides of the necks, the startiu end portionof the band being loope adjustably through said slots, over said bar,and about the body of the pad, so as to underlie the band when applied,and the terminal end of said band having string extensions forattachment to said tongues.

5. A foot and ankle brace comprising a continuous, flexible band and apad 'of the character of leather and being interposable between the bandand the hollow of the foot, said pad having parallel slots affording abar between them and alsohaving tongues adjacent to the ends of saidbar, said tongues being normally flush within the body of the pad andbeing formed by slitting through the body with curvature at' the ends ofthe tongues and convergently at the sides of the tongues, said tongueshaving reduced neck portions affording shouldered heads at their ends,the starting end portion of said band beinglooped through said slots,over said bar, and about the body of the pad, so as to underlie the bandwhen applied, and the terminal end of said band having string extensionsfor attachment to said tongues.

,. I MARSHALL D. GIBSON.

